Still unsure who wins from the pending federal health overhaul? It’s now clear that TV stations, at least, will benefit. The television industry anticipates up to $1 billion in new ad spending by insurers looking for fresh business, WSJ reports, citing broadcasters trade group TVB and broadcast executives. The billion-dollar estimate doesn’t include ad money spent by states. California, Illinois and Colorado have already started buying commercial spots to promote the online exchanges. Much of the ad spending is going local, to TV stations rather than national networks–a welcome development in the absence of election year spending and ongoing declines in auto advertising. The story notes that the extra revenue is flowing into station groups amid a busy round of industry consolidation. Read More »